 Raleigh Regional - Day 2 (USC-NC St. Updates)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/31/2008 01:12:00 PM
10:10 - Nice diving catch by the NCS RF to rob Wingo. 2 outs. Havens is last hope for USC. L-4. NCS wins 5-4. USC hit the ball hard in the T9 but right at the fielders. USC will play JMU Sunday at 1 p.m. 10:05 - WE GO TO THE TOP OF THE NINTH WITH USC TRAILING, 5-4. 10:00 - New pitcher for USC is Jordan Costner. This marks his first appearance since May 15 against UT when he hurled 1 inn. Overall, this is his third appearance in May. 9:55 - Bangs 4-6-3 DP ends the T8. USC has 3 outs remaining. And new pitcher Craig Thomas has to keep NCS off the scoreboard here in the B8. We go to the B8 with NCS leading, 5-4. 9:45 - NCS bunched together 4 straight singles off Todd to score thre go-ahead run here in the B7. But DeAngelo Mack gunned down another would-be scorer with a middile from left. It might have been one of the best throws made by a USC OF this season. Great throw. But NCS leads, 5-4. USC has six outs to score at least the tying run. 9:32 - Darnell makes contact for the first time tonight, but it's a grounder right at the NCS SS. 6-4 FC at 2B. We go to the B7 with the score tied at 4-4. 9:30 - We have third pitching change of the inning for NCS. There are 2 outs, runners at 1&2. Smoak F-9. Hit will score the go-ahead run. Darnell is up and he's K'd 3 times tonight. USC needs a clutch hit right here. 9:20 - We have the second pitching change of the inning for NCS in the T7. USC has runners at 1&2 with 1 out. Merrifield just walked. Smoak is up. The score is tied at 4-4. 9:10 - We have a tie game at 4-4 here in Raleigh. Todd K'd the first batter he faced but uncorked a wild pitch to allow the tying run to score. We go to the T7 with USC and NCS tied at 4-4. 9:00 - We have a pitching change for USC here in the B6. NCS has two runners in scoring position with 1 out. Brandon Todd is the new USC pitcher, replacing Godwin, who worked 5 innings. USC leads 4-3, so Todd has his work cut out for him to keep the runners from scoring. 8:50 - USC has taken a 4-3 lead here in the T6!! Bloop single by Crisp scores the go-ahead run with 2 outs. But Bangs was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. The tying run previously scored on a throwing error by the NCS SS. Disher started the 2-out uprising by singling with 2 outs for his first hit of the game. Mack then walked. Then came the error and single. James Darnell has K'd three times tonight, so he's struggling against Shunick. He must be trying to pull everything and that's not a good strategy against a pitcher with a wicked splitter and slider. 8:35 - NCS's Jeremy Synan fanned to end the B5 and must have said something to the umpire becuase he was immediately ejected. NCS had a paiur of base-runenrs reach but no runs scored. We go to the T6 with NCS leading, 3-2. We have some controversy here in Raleigh. The NCS coach was engaged in a heated conversation with the umpre, but we're back to playing baseball. 8:25 - Whit Merrifield's third hit of the game scored Wingo to make it 3-2 but the freshman from Advance, NC was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. But the run counted. Mack's HR means USC has homered in 21 straight games. Wingo reached on a HBP. 8:10 - After allowing the first 2 batters of the inning to reach base, Godwin got a foul pop on a bunt attempt. But the next batter dumped a single into LF to score a run to make it 3-1 NCS. That's where we stand heading to the T5. USC has 5 hits, NCS 4. The Wolfpack have done a better job, though, of taking advantage of their opportunities so far. NCS left 2 runners stranded. 8:05 - DeAngelo Mack does it again!! He blasted a 2-out, solo HR to RF to narrow NCS's lead to 2-1 in the T4. It was Mack's second HR of the NCAA Tourney, as he had an opposite field, 3-run shot in the first inning of Friday's 15-8 win over Charlotte. We go to the B4 with USC trailing, 2-1. 7:55 - NC State has extended its lead to 2-0 here in the B3 and the same guy who hit the HR, Dallas Poulk, delivered again with a RBI single. But Godwin proceeded to pick him off first, his 9th pick-off of the seaon. He has a great move to first base for a RHP. It's 2-0 NCS heading to the T4. 7:50 - Here are a couple of scores to pass along: Miami beat Missouri, 6-5; UNC beat UNC Wilmington, 5-1; Arkansas was eliminated with a 5-1 loss to Stanford. 2 SEC teams are now gone from the NCAA Tourney. Frankly, the SEC has to pick the pace and start winning some games. 7:45 - In the T3, Merrifield picks up his second hit of the night with a hard single into LF. That brought up Smoak, who hit a hard grounder right at the NCS 2B. He started a 4-6-3 DP. That's it for USC in the T3. We go to the B3 with NCS leading, 1-0. USC has 4 hits so far but nothing to show for it. This one is settling into a low-scoring game. Runs will be hard to come by. 7:40 - Very good B2 for Godwin. He records 2 K's and a 6-3. He's retired six in a row since the leadoff HR in the B1. We go to the T3 with NCS leading 1-0. USC has to start taking advantage of its opportunities. They have 3 LOB in the first 2 Inn. 7:30 - USC let a good scoring opportunity slip away in the T2. Mack led off a double to RCF, but the next 3 USC batters were retired without Mack advancing. It's 1-0 NCS as we go to the B2. USC has 3 hits in the first two innings. 7:20 - N.C. State breaks the ice first with a leadoff HR in the B1 by Dallas Poulk. But he retired the next 3 batters. We go to the T2 with USC trailing, 1-0. 7:10 - USC threatened in the T1 with consecutive singles by Merrifield and Smoak but K's on Darnell and Disher ended the inning. Shunick has a very good splitter and slider. We go to the B1 with the score 0-0. Smoak is now 22 for 49 in his career in 15 NCAA Tournament games. The guy is a hitting machine. While USC didn't score, they showed they could get hits off Shunick. 7:00 - The national anthem has been played and N.C. State has taken the field. We're almost ready to start here. This is the most important game of any 4-team regional because the losing team has such a difficult road, while the winning teams has to win just one more game. Here's the first pitch. Strike. We're underway. 6:45 - Harley Lail is considered day-to-day right now with a bruised right knee. Crisp started a bunch of games last year at right field, so he's played the position before. Nick Godwin starts for USC with a 7-3 record and 3.02 ERA in 86.1 IP. He has 77 strikeouts and 22 walks. N.C. State starter Clayton Shunick is 7-5 with a 2.12 ERA in 89.1 IP with 100 K's. I'm told he's not an overpowering pitcher b ut relies on control and guile to get batters out. Tom Moody told me USC will have to go to the other way tonight rather than trying to pull everything. 6:40 - USC is taking infield here at Doak Field. We're about 20-25 minutes from the first pitch. 6:35 - UGA has beaten Louisville, 9-8, in Athens, so the Bulldogs survive. Josh Fields gave up 3 runs in the B9 but managed to hang on. UGA has to win twice tomorrow and once on Monday to win the Regional. Louisville is eliminated after advancing to the CWS last year. 6:30 - Here is USC's starting lineup for tonight's game v. N.C. State: Havens - 6 (.366-16-54) Merrifield - 8 (.323-3-24) Smoak - 3 (.388-21-69) Darnell - 5 (.312-19-81) Disher - 2 (.305-19-57) Mack - 7 (.278-6-20) Bangs - DH (.302-2-6) Crisp - 9 (.307-2-22) Wingo - 4 (.227-6-16) Andrew Crisp makes his first start of the year in RF. Harley Lail had started all 60 previous games, but he was injured in the 2ns inning of yesterday's game. ********************************************************************************** 6:20 - We're back after a dinner break. Believe it or not, James Madison completed a rally from a 10-2 deficit to beat UNCC, 13-12, in the first game of the afternoon. So, the loser of the USC-NCS game will face JMU Sunday at 1 p.m. UGA is leading Louisville, 9-5, in the T9. 5:40 - We're in the T8 here in Raleigh with JMU leading 13-12. The teams have combined for 31 hits. UGA now leads 9-5. We're going to the B8 here with JMU leading, 13-12. 5:30 - UGA has taken an 8-5 lead over Louisville in Athens. The Bulldogs have scored 6 runs in the T7 and they're still batting. 5:25 - Gordon Beckham may have saved Georgia's season. His 3-run HR in the T7 has tied the score with Louisville at 5-5. Here, JMU has stunned UNCC with 3 runs in the B7 to take a 13-11 lead. We're approaching the 3-1/2 hour mark. UNCC once led, 10-2. But we're a long way from being over. 5:05 - It's over in Tallahassee. UF losses, 17-11. The Gators went down quickly inthe B9 with 3 K's. Very disappointing NCAA Tourney for the Gators, especially after finishing the reguar season as the No. 3 seed in the SEC. That sweep over Vandy must feel like decades ago. But they lost 2 in a row in Hoover and now 2 straight in the NCAA Tourney. 5:00 - UF is down to its last at-bat in Tallahassee. FSU has 25 hits today. Here, UNCC has taken a 11-10 lead in the T7. Pitching change for JMU. It's probably going to be a quick turnaround for the grounds crew in Raleigh. UGA is also losing, 4-2, to Louisville in the T6. 4:45 - Great rally by JMU here in Raleigh. They trailed 10-2 going to the B5 but have rallied to knot the score at 10-10 in the B6. The Dukes have scored 6 runs in the B6. This game could be going on for a awhile. I think the pitching staffs of both teams are exhausted. We're approaching the 2:45 mark and we still have 3 innings to play. 4:35 - FSU leads UF, 17-11, in the T8. UF pitchers have now given up 23 runs in the last 11 innings. That's a collapse of major proportions. Unless the Gators rally, they will head home to Gainesviile. Right now, Billy Donovan may not be able to save UF. BTW, the game here in Raleigh is getting closer. It's 10-8 UNCC in the B6. JMU has scored four times here in the B6. This one is far from over. A lot of runs are being scored around college baseball. 4:20 - The Game Tracker for the Georgia-Louisville game is finally working. The Bulldogs are trailing, 3-2, in the B4. The last week or so has been tough on the Dawgs. They went two and out at the SEC Tournament, and didn't look good doin it, so you have to suggest UGA may have peaked too early. Louisville now leads 4-2. 4:10 - The game here in Raleigh is dragging along. UNCC leads 10-4 in the B5. It's taken forever to play these last 2 innings. There's a pitching change for UNCC. In Tallahassee, UF pitching continues to get pounded. The Seminoles lead, 15-9 in the T7. Tony Delmonico, a transfer from Tennessee, juts hit a 3-run HR. It's been a rough 2 days for the Gators. 3:45 - JMU leads UNCC, 6-2, in the T5. The 49ers scored 4 runs in the T4. They have scored three runs in the T5 and now lead 8-2. FSU leads UF, 10-9, in the B6. Ole Miss has beaten B-C, 14-1, so the Rebels get back on track after being blanked by Missouri in the tourney opener. 3:30 - UF has rallied to tie the game with FSU, 9-9, in the B5 in Tallahassee. The pitchers are being shredded in that one. JMU has ralled here with a run and now a 2-out triple. UNCC leads 5-2 in the B4. 3:10 - JMU has changed pitchers in the T4 after a solo HR. UNCC leads, 2-0. FSU is finally out in the T5 in Tallahassee after scoring seven runs. Seminoles lead, 9-5. UF pitching has imploded the last 2 days. Second time they've lost a lead. Right now, they've given up 16 runs in 14 innings. Not good. There's another HR for UNCC. 2-run shot. 49ers lead, 4-0, in the T4. I think JMU is starting to run out of pitchers. 3:00 - UNCC leads JMU, 1-0, as we go to the B3 here in Raleigh. FSU has already scored 7 runs in the T5 and now leads UF, 9-5. OLe Miss is trouncing B-C in Coral Gables, so the Rebels will play Mizzou or Miami on Sunday. JMU is down in the B3. We go to the T4 with UNCC leading, 1-0. 2:40 - JMU-Charlotte are in the T3 with the score 0-0. UF leads FSU, 5-3, in the T5. UNCC has just scored on a a RBI double. The 49ers lead 1-0. The winner of the JMU-UNCC game will play the loser of USC-NCS on Sunday at 1 p.m. 2:20 - UNCC-JMU are scoreless after 1 Inn. Kentucky has fallen behind East. Michigan, 1-0 after the T1. UF now leads Fla. State 5-1 in the B3. It looks like FSU hasn't recovered from last night's stunning loss to Bucknell. Bobby Bowden must be coaching the Seminoles based on how poorly they've played so far in the NCAA Tourney. 2:10 - The elimination game between Charlotte and James Madison is underway here at Doak Field. We're in the B1 with the score 0-0. UF leads FSU, 3-1, in Tallahassee in the B3. Ole Miss is leading Bethune-Cookman, 6-1, in the T6, so it looks like the Rebels will survive to play another day. But UF blew a 4-1 7th-inning lead last night, so we'll see what happens. UGA starts at 3 p.m. 1:55 - Florida has jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Fla. State in the top of the 3rd in Tallahassee. The Seminoles still haven't scored a run despite having one of the best players in the nations (Posey). I'm sure not many college baseball fans in the Sunshine State expected this. But that's why they play the games. 1:45 - In case you missed it late last night, the Kentucky-Michigan game was suspended in the fifth inning because be inclement weather. Thet finished that game this morning and the Wildcats lost, 7-5. It capped off a somewhat disappointing first day for the SEC. Conference teams went 3-6, with the wins being posted by USC, Alabama and LSU. Everyone else, including Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, lost. UF lost to Tulane. Here are the elimination games today: Ole Miss-Bethune Cookman Eastern Michigan-Kentucky Charlotte-James Madison Georgia-Louisville Virginia-Rider Arkansas-Stanford TCU-Western Ky. Florida-Florida State Elon-Mt. St. Mary's Columbia-East Carolina Eastern Ill.-Oral Roberts Texas Southern-New Orleans Texas-Sam Houston State Dallas Baptist-Ill. Chicago California-Long Beach State Vanderbilt-Stony Brook 1:20 - We're back at Doak Field in Raleigh for Day 2 of the double-elimination NCAA Regional. Charlotte and James Madison are preparing for baseball battle down below. They're about 45 minutes from the first pitch. They're predicting some scattered showers today, so we'll have to see how the weather goes. Yesterday, South Carolina beat Charlotte, 15-8, while host N.C. State downed James Madison, 6-2, with a late spurt. It should be a great day of baseball here at Doak Field. The main storyline of tonight's feature presentation is Ray Tanner has never coached N.C. State since leaving the Wolfpack after the 1996 season. The Gamecocks and Wolfpack will get underway at 7 p.m. The game will feature an outstanding pitching matchup. Nick Godwin will start for USC. Clayton Shunick will start for NCS. Some of the elimination games are underway. We'll be following those, as well. The most stunning win-or-go-home game is Florida v. Florida State in Tallahassee. The Seminoles are a top eight national seed. Georgia is also playing an elimination game today after being stunned at home, 10-7, by Lipscomb.
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Raleigh Regional - Day 1 (USC v. Charlotte)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/30/2008 11:50:00 AM
5:25 - Solo HR for UNCC in the 9th, but that's it. USC WINS 15-8. Gamecocks will play NC State or James Madison Sat. at 7 p.m. Teams combined for 23 runs and 32 hits. This one was a slugfest. 5:20 - WE GO TO THE NINTH INNING WITH USC LEADING 15-7. 5:15 - 3-RUN BLAST BY DARNELL MAKES IT 15-7. This one is probably out of reach. USC will play Saturday at 7 p.m. against the winner of the N.C. State-James Madison game. A USC-NS State matchup would be very interesting. We'll see what happens. 5:10 - Pitching change for UNCC. It's 12-7 USC with 1 out in the B8 thanks to a 2-run single by Merrifield. This one has been a slugfest. We've moved past the 3-hour mark. USC has 12 runs and 16 hits today. USC is 17-2 this season when it scores 10+ runs. 5:00 - Another great defensive play by Darnell to end the T8!! He snagged a liner and fired to first to catch the runner off-base. Great play! We go to the B8 with USC leading, 10-7. 4:55 - USC had a good chance to add to its lead in the B7 but K's by Disher and Bangs ended the threat. We go to the T8 with USC leading, 10-7. Cisco back out for the T8. 4:45 - Pitching change for UNCC in the B7. Smoak singled and is now 4-for-4 with a HBP today. He has a sweet hitting stroke, which is the major reason he'll be a very wealthy young man in about 2 months. It's still 10-7 USC. 4:38 - Cisco comes ina nd does the job with a K. We go to the B7 with USC leading, 10-7. Another score: Florida loses to Tulane, 7-4. 4:35 - 3-run HR for UNCC has made it a 10-7 game here in the T7. Tanner comes out. Dyson is gone. Cisco comes in. Dyson was splendid through 5 Inn, but lost his effectiveness in the 6th and 7th, giving up all 7 runs in those 2 innings. Unfortunately, his pitching line won't look great, buthe was great for 5 innings. Cisco is 5-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 68.1 IP. 4:25 - USC responds to the 4-run 6th by UNCC by scoring 1 run in the B6 on doubles by Bangs and Crisp. USC has 13 hits through 6 Inn. We go to the T7 with USC leading, 10-4. Dyson comes out for the 7th. This is a little surprising. 4:10 - Dyson surrenders 4 runs and 5 hits in the T6. The final 2 scored on a HR. It's 9-4 USC as we go to the B6. Cisco was warming up in the bullpen. He 4:05 - Well, just as I start to sing Dyson's praises, he gave up a HBP and three straight singles. Now its 9-2 USC on SF. 4:00 - USC leaves the bases loaded in the B5 after 2 HBP and BB. We go to the T6 with USC leading 9-0. Dyson's shutout streak in intact. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 11.2 IP over the last 2 outings. He's been dominant. No question he'll be the No. 1 guy next season. 3:55 - Couple of scores to pass along: Missouri beat Ole Miss, 7-0 and Coastal Carolina beat Columbia, 10-2. We have a lull here with a visit to the mound by the UNCC pitching coach. 2 HBP. 3:50 - Disher guns down a would-be base-stealer for the second out in the T5. Disher has improved considerably as a catcher over the last 12 months. We go to the B5 with USC leading, 9-0. 3:40 - USC pours it on with 3 runs in the B4 to make it 9-0. After Smoak's hit, Mack's DP grounder with the bases loaded scored a run. Bangs then ripped, and I do mean ripped, a RBI single into LF. That may have been the hardest hit ball all day. Bangs is really emerging as the DH. We go to the T5 with USC leading, 9-0. 3:30 - We have a pitching change for Charlotte after Smoak rips a 2B to RF to score Merrifield. That is Smoak's 3rd RBI of the game and his 53rd career double. The pro scouts in attendance today have to be impressed. It's 7-0 USC here in the B4. 3:25 - A bizarre error by Justin Smoak highlighted the T4. A throw from Darnell that should have been the thir dout went through the webbing of his glove. The play put runners at 1&3 with 2puts for UNCC, but Dyson worked out of trouble. We go to the B4 with USC leading, 6-0. 3:10 - USC got a pair of singles from Bangs and Crisp in the B3 but that's it. First scoreless at-bat of the game for USC. We go to the T4 with USC leading, 6-0. USC has 8 hits in 3 Inn. 3:00 - Some more outstanding glove work by the Gamecocks in the T3. Wingo ranged to his right on a ball up the middle and threw the runner out to end the inning. Charlotte got a runner to 3rd, so Wingo's play saved a run. By my count, that's 4 nice defensive plays by USC today. We go to the B3 with USC leading, 6-0. 2:55 - Another productive at-bat for the Gamecocks. USC has increased its lead to 6-0 on RBI hits by Havens and Smoak. Both of them are 2-for-2 in the game. The top three hitters in USC's order are a combined 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, a sacrifice and a walk. That's getting the job done. We go to the T3 with USC leading 6-0. 2:47 - We've been informed that Harley Lail has a bruised right knee, which is why he was removed from the game. Crisp is playing RF. 2:45 - Pitching change for Charlotte here in the B2 with USC leading 5-0, Havens scored Wingo with a single to CF. 2:35 - Andrew Crisp PH for Lail in the B2. Lail was injured when he crashed into the fence in RF foul territory in the T2. He stayed in the game at that point but Tanner decided to pull him and let him recover from his injuries. 2:30 - Mack followed up his HR with a sensational leaping catch in LF to rob Chris Taylor of extra bases. USC is playing great defense so far. Charlotte had a couple of singles but that's it. We go to the B2 with USC leading, 4-0. The Gamecocks are 32-2 this season when they score 6+ runs. They're also 22-8 when they score in the 1st inning and 28-10 when they score 1st. The Gamecocks look strong early!! 2:20 - The USC offense jumped on Charlotte starter Joe Yermal for 4 runs in the B1. The inning was capped by a 2-out, 3-run HR by DeAngelo Mack to LF for his 6th HR of the season. It was an opposite field shot. He now has 20 RBI. Havens started the inning with a double and eventually scored on a single by Smoak. Great 1st inning for USC. Just what Ray Tanner was looking for. We go to the T2 with USC leading, 4-0. 2:05 - Great start for Dyson inthe top of the 1st. But he had some defensive help from Darnell at 3B, who charged in to make a couple of nice plays. Dyson fanned Lyerly, who came in with a .367 BA, 14 HR and 73 RBI for the final out. We go to the B1 with score tied at 0-0. 2:00 - We're almost ready to go. I will be providing updates after every half-inning per NCAA regulations. Dyson has completed his warm-ups. 1:30 - We're about 30 minutes from the first pitch. USC is wearing their all-white uniforms with no stripes and "Carolina" splashed across the front. The Caps are white with the red brim. The Gamecocks are taking fielding practice right now and Charlotte will follow. Here's the list of the other early games today: Ole Miss v. Missouri (Coral Gables) Arizona v. Eastern Michigan (Ann Arbor) Georgia v. Lipscomb (Athens)(UGA elected to play early game) Virginia v. UCLA (Fullerton, CA) Arkansas v. Pepperdine (Stanford) TCU v. Wichita State (Stillwater, OK) Tulane v. Florida (Tallahassee) Elon v. UNC-Wilmington (Cary, NC) Coastal Carolina v. Columbia (Conway)(CCU elected to play first game) Nebraska v. Eastern Illinois (Lincoln) LSU v. Texas Southern (Baton Rouge) St. John's v. Texas (Houston) Houston v. Dallas Baptist (College Station) California v. San Diego (Long Beach) Oklahoma v. Vanderbilt (Tempe, AZ) A couple of the game are already underway. We'll try to get scores for you. 12:50 - Here is USC's starting lineup with current stats for Game 1 of the Raleigh Regional: Havens - 6 (.363-16-53) Merrifield - 8 (.321-3-22) Smoak - 3 (.377-21-66) Darnell - 5 (.310-18-78) Disher - 2 (.309-19-57) Mack - 7 (.275-5-17) Bangs - DH (.270-2-5) Lail - 9 (.235-5-30) Wingo - 4 (.217-16-48) Dyson - P (7-0, 3.27 ERA, 44.0 IP, 32 hits, 17 runs, 43 K, 26 BB, .212 OBA) USC has finished taking batting practice in the cages next to the field. Charlotte has started BP. We're about 70 minutes from the first pitch. This is the same lineup USC used in the final two games of the SEC Tournament. 12 Noon - Paul Collins and I have arrived at the media center across the street from the ballpark here at N.C. Center. I will be seating in the auxiliary press seating area which is substandard to say the least. The N.C. State SID told me they've been overwhelmed by media credential requests. Wednesday, they had over 90 requests. It could be in excess of 100 now. The first day here could be interesting to say the least, especially from a pitching perspective. Three of the 4 starting pitchers, including both hurlers in the USC-Charlotte game, are freshmen. Sam Dyson will start for USC. Obviously, the first game is huge. If you lose, you're forced to play one game on Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday to win the Regional. That's a lot of baseball and a lot of stress on your pitching staff. It's pretty quiet here the ballpark right now. A few media people are strolling in. I'm the only writer here right now in the media center. The post-game interviews will be conducted here as well. We'll have USC's starting lineup as soon as we get it.
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Raleigh Regional - The Day Before (5/29)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/29/2008 01:14:00 PM
1:35 - We're here at the media center next to Doak Field in Raleigh Regional. South Carolina has just completed its press conference following a 75-minute workout. As expected, most of the questions, especially from the media here in the Research Triangle area, centered on Ray Tanner's return to N.C. State. Tanner played for the Wolfpack in the late 1970's and was an assistant coach under the legendary Sammy Esposito before taking the head coaching reins in 1988. He remained there until taking the USC job after the 1996 season. Tanner still has a lot of friends and family in the area and planned to visir Esposito later today. Tanner grew up in Johnson County, N.C. Watching batting practice, it appears the ball carries pretty well here at Doak Field. The dimensions of the ballpark are as follows: 320 to LF, 370 to LCF, 400 to CF, 380 to RCF, 330 to RF. USC hit numerous bombs out of the ballpark. One thing that amazed me was the bat control of the players. Before every pitch, Tanner would call out the portion of the field he wanted the player to hit the ball to and the vast majority of the time the players would hit it exactly there. Tanner said he'll likely go with a lineup that features Phil Disher at catcher and Parker Bangs (he had a very good BP on Thur.) at DH, but, with 24 hours to go before the first game, he didn't want to show his hand too much. Andrew Crisp is healthy and ready to go since aggravating his back injury in Hoover. Sam Dyson will be the starting pitcher, in case you missed the news yesterday. This is the first time N.C. State has hosted a Regional here in Raleigh and I can sense the excitement among the coaches, players and staff here. The ballpark seats about 3,000 or so. The concourses are very wide. It seems to be a fan friendly ballpark. NC State hosted a Regional in Wilson, NC in 2003 due to the renovations at Doak Field.
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A Big (Literally) Loss For The Gamecocks
posted by Scott Hood, 5/28/2008 12:33:00 AM
If Kenrick Ellis has really been dismissed from the team – and all the reports I’ve seen point in that direction – it’s a huge (literally) loss for the Gamecock football team. While Ellis wasn’t a significant contributor in his time with the USC football program, he possessed the two things you can’t teach in a defensive lineman – size and skill. Look up the definition of the term ‘man-child’ in the dictionary and you’ll probably see Kenrick’s picture. He was a happy-go-lucky guy that seemingly always had a smile on his face. Yes, he was unprepared for the physical and mental demands of major college football when he arrived on campus in the summer of 2006. But he lost the weight and was allowed to finally practice with the team. But, by that point, it was too late fro him to play in 2006, so he redshirted. When the 2007 season began, he continued to struggle. But, midway, through the season, the light finally came on. He finally grasped the system and the physical demands. In short, he started to play the way he was capable of. His transformation began with the Arkansas game when he had three tackles and culminated with an outstanding performance in the Clemson game when he had a season-high five tackles. It appeared Ellis was headed in the right direction. But he wasn’t. Steve Spurrier revealed on Signing Day that Ellis had been suspended for the first three games of the 2008 season for violating university rules. I knew at that point that Ellis’ career with the Gamecocks was in jeopardy. Would he be patient enough to wait out the suspension and then hopefully return and make an impact? It was an iffy proposition at best. There was a good chance the 2008 season, which once seemed promising, would turn into a wasted year for Ellis. He would have had a considerable amount of distance to make up when he returned from the suspension. I think he knew that too, which is why he might have become careless in some of his personal activities, whether it was academics or something else. The one guy I really feel bad for in this unfortunate episode is defensive line coach Brad Lawing. He invested a considerable amount of time in Ellis only to see it blow up in his face. I recall speaking with Lawing late in the season just as Ellis was starting to show flashes of his potential. He beamed with pride like a proud papa when he talked about Ellis. When Ellis first arrived at USC, it’s fair to say he was immature and fairly naïve to the ways of SEC football. He didn’t understand the commitment that it took to play the game at this level. It showed in his poor practice habits. I never saw Ellis play in high school, but I suspect it came too easy for him at that level. With his massive size, he could physically dominate opponents. But he quickly learned when he was got here that he couldn’t do the same thing at the SEC level. He had to play fundamentally sound and learn a few tricks of the trade. Slowly and steadily, Lawing changed Ellis’ habits. It took over a year before he started to exhibit significant progress. But, I emphasize, he was making progress. After the Clemson game, many Gamecock fans thought 2008 would be a big year for Ellis. Now we’ll never know. Make no mistake, USC will miss the presence of Ellis inside along the defensive front this season. It puts additional pressure on players like Ladi Ajiboye, Marque Hall, Nathan Pepper and Jonathan Williams to fill the void. They are all good players, but there’s something about 6-foot-5, 330 pounds that’s difficult to replace. Hopefully, USC will find a suitable replacement. It also means Lawing and defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson will likely attempt to accelerate the progress of JUCO transfer Jarriel King, a four-star prospect who’s expected to enroll in school this summer after a tumultuous year at Georgia Military. If King gets into school and lives up to the headlines, he could eventually move into the slot that once belonged to Ellis. A Tuesday night report on WLTX-TV’s web site said Ellis is considering transferring to a Div. I-AA school - with Charleston Southern, Georgia Southern, Hampton and Appalachian State among the favorites - so he won’t have to sit out a season. Considering he’s already redshirted, that’s probably a smart decision. Hopefully, for his sake, Ellis will continue to make what has been to now a rocky transition to college football. Whoever gets him will be obtaining a quality defensive tackle with plenty of potential. With his size and skill level, I have no doubt he will wreak havoc at the I-AA level as long as he’s willing to put forth the effort in practice and games and he makes the correct personal decisions. It’s all up to Kenrick.
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A Good Regional For The Gamecocks
posted by Scott Hood, 5/27/2008 01:48:00 AM
When 12:30 p.m. on Monday rolled around, I was convinced the NCAA would send South Carolina to play in a Regional hosted by one of the so-called “Big Three” of the ACC – North Carolina, Florida State and Miami. But I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not saying the Regional in Raleigh won’t be difficult, but the road to the Super Regional will be a little easier against teams like N.C. State and Charlotte. In fact, I would say USC caught a major break. I’m prepared to say I would be disappointed if the Gamecocks don’t win the Regional. Ray Tanner said all the right things on Monday but one thing stuck out: if USC plays as well as its capable, the Gamecocks have a great chance to win. I believe it. Without one of the Big Three standing in its way, Tanner knows USC’s chances of making a Super Regional for the eighth time in nine years are much better than if they had to face one of those teams. But, they don’t. By now, I’m sure everyone recalls Charlotte’s 11-2 victory over USC in early March. But that game was played nearly three months ago when the season was barely two weeks old. Is Charlotte nine runs better than USC? Absolutely not. That was an aberration. But were they better than the Gamecocks for one night? Yes. This time, I expect the outcome will be different. First, no matter who the starting pitcher is, USC won’t give up 11 runs again to the 49ers. Sam Dyson was downright dominating against LSU last Wednesday, and he certainly deserves the opportunity to start the Regional opener. If not Dyson, then Nick Godwin will get the call. Either way, I would be surprised if the 49ers score more than three or four runs. Second, I don’t believe the USC offense will score just two runs again. Projected starter Joe Yermal is 8-1 this season, but his numbers except for his won-loss record are not dominating. Ray Tanner and the players we talked to on Monday claimed the earlier loss won’t matter much. While I agree with that point, I don’t believe they’ve forgotten. Why? You never forget when you’re embarrassed on you rhome field. Bottom line, I expect USC will win. This is the NCAA Tournament. USC is the higher seed. Anything less than a win is unacceptable. N.C. State is certainly a notch or two below the ACC’s Big Three. Do they have more talent than USC? I doubt it. I watched some of the Wolfpack’s 10-0 win over Clemson last weekend and there’s no question it was impressive. But lost in the hoopla over the lopsided win against the Tigers is the fact they dropped their other two ACC Tourney games to Georgia Tech and Miami. If you compare rosters, you’ll never convince me that either N.C. State or Charlotte are better teams than the Gamecocks. In my opinion, I see the Raleigh Regional playing out in similar fashion to the 2006 Charlottesville Regional. If you recall, very few experts gave USC much of a chance at the time to win the Regional over a talented Virginia squad. But Phil Disher turned the entire Regional around with one swing of the bat, walloping a grand slam off the best pitcher in the ACC that Virginia officials told me was the longest home run they had ever witnessed at the Cavaliers’ home ballpark. Disher stepped up last year again with a clutch grand slam in the Regional clinching victory over Charlotte. So, someone needs to step up again and make plays, to borrow a phrase from football and basketball. Heck, it could be Disher himself. Considering where USC landed, you could easily make the argument that the Gamecocks got a better draw than Florida (Tallahassee Regional), Kentucky (Ann Arbor Regional) or Vanderbilt (Tempe, Ariz.), all of whom finished higher than USC in the conference standings. Let’s put it this way: USC’s chances of surviving the Regional in Raleigh are better than any of those three teams getting to the Super Regional round right now. I have a feeling that come next Tuesday, I’ll be preparing to cover USC at the Super Regional.
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And the Gamecocks Will Go To. . .
posted by Scott Hood, 5/26/2008 01:24:00 AM
The announcement of the 16 NCAA Regional host sites on Sunday night raised an interesting question for South Carolina baseball fans. Will the Gamecocks actually go play in Conway, S.C. at Coastal Carolina University rather than being sent somewhere else? I don’t think so. As intriguing as the prospect of the Gamecocks staying in the Palmetto State is, I think the NCAA will continue its tradition of sending USC to an ACC school and making it earn its way to the Super Regional. USC managed to overcome Virginia’s home field advantage in 2006 with its somewhat unexpected Regional victory in Charlottesville. The previous year, USC couldn’t get past Georgia Tech. The ACC, as top-heavy a league as you’ll ever see, has four schools hosting NCAA Regionals – Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State. Each team has a chance to host the Gamecocks. USC and North Carolina have hooked up three times in post-season play since 2003, twice in the Super Regional, including last year’s three-game showdown in Chapel Hill. Because USC and UNC have seen each other so often, I believe USC will be sent somewhere else. However, don’t be surprised if USC’s Regional and the Chapel Hill Regional are matched up in the Super Regional round again for the right to go to Omaha for the World Series. Raleigh is a strong possibility because of Ray Tanner’s historical connections to N.C. State. Remember, he played and coached there before taking the USC job in 1997. Miami is another possibility, but I expect the NCAA will send the Florida Gators there for another ACC-SEC battle. Florida State? The Gamecocks and Seminoles haven’t squared off on the baseball diamond since 1991, the final season of USC’s involvement in the Metro Conference. USC’s last trip to Tallahassee occurred in 1990. Because of the Metro Conference connection, Florida State appears a logical destination for the Gamecocks. The NCAA cherishes ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament because they promise to knock out one of those conference teams in each round prior to Omaha. The ACC and SEC have dominated college baseball in the last decade or so. Some years, the SEC has delivered three or four teams to the College World Series. I can assure you the NCAA hates that. So, they’ve taken steps to minimize the impact of the ACC and SEC – particularly the latter – upon the College World Series. That’s why you see so many ACC-SEC matchups in the tournament. The most popular politically correct term of the moment – and the NCAA might be the most PC organization in the country – is ‘geographic diversity.’ NCAA Div. I Baseball Committee chair Larry Templeton must have used that term, or something similar, about a dozen times in Sunday’s teleconference in which he answered questions about how the NCAA decided on the 16 host sites. The NCAA is always fearful of too many Southern-based schools making it to Omaha. In their own version of paradise, when the eight finalists line up at Rosenblatt Stadium during the opening ceremonies, there will two or three schools from the Southeast, two or three from the West Coast, one or two from the Southwest and/or Midwest and, hopefully, one from the Northeast. That’s why Michigan was named a regional host Sunday night. There’s no question the NCAA is rooting for the Wolverines to make it to Omaha. If it’s likely USC will travel to an ACC site, who goes to Conway, S.C.? Probably East Carolina, which opened the season with a three-game series against USC in February. Behind Rice, they’re one of the top teams in Conference USA. In the latest official RPI rankings released by the NCAA on May 20, East Carolina was No. 17, one spot ahead of USC. They finished fifth in the regular season C-USA standings, but their high RPI suggests they might be better than that. Of course, East Carolina could also be sent to the regionals hosted by North Carolina or N.C. State. The Pirates played in the Chapel Hill Regional last season and gave the Tar Heels all they wanted and then some. If ECU is sent to one of those Regionals, the prospect of USC playing in Conway grows stronger. But, in the end, the urge to watch USC battle a highly-ranked ACC team over three days will be too powerful for the NCAA to overcome. My prediction: USC will play in Tallahassee.
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SEC Baseball Tourney - Day 3 (USC-Vandy Updates)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/23/2008 02:20:00 PM
7:05 - We have some drama here in the T9. Havens has 3 hits today. He hits one deep to RF. But it's caught at the warning track. 2 outs. Merrifield up. He has to get on to get to Smoak. Merrifield has 3 HR this season. L-8 for the final out. Vandy wins 7-5. USC is eliminated. 7:00 - Lail leads off in the T9. He's 0-for-2 today with 2 K's. Make that 3 K's. 1 out in the T9. Wingo up. He's ahead 3-1. Wingo walks. That's big. Havens up. He nearly had a HR the last time up. Here comes the VU coach. The pitcher stays in. 6:55 - Todd sets down VU 1-2-3 in the B8. WE GO TO THE NINTH WITH USC TRAILING 7-5. The Gamecocks need two runs to extend the game into the B9. Lail, Wingo, Havens due up. 6:45 - Here comes the Vandy coach. We have a new pitcher for VU. He's a lefty. Mack up. USC now trails 7-5 after scoring 4 times here in the T8. Mack 2-2. 1 out in T8. 3-2. Strikeout. 2 outs. Bangs up. Here comes the VU coach. Another pitching change for VU. Bangs up. He whiffs. We go to the B8 with USC trailing, 7-5. 6:40 - Disher steps in and faces Reid. This should be another battle. 2-1. Low. 3-1. Great hitter's count here. Fastball? Disher belts it deep to RCF! It's way out of here! 3-RUN BLAST!! 2nd HR of the day for Disher. He has 4 RBI. USC now trails 7-5. They're back in it. 6:35 - This will be a good battle here between Smoak and Reid. He hits one high to LF. Medium distance. But it's enough to score Havens. It's 7-2 VU. Darnell up. Smoak drove in his 66th run of the season. Merrifield went to 2B on the play. RBI opportunity for Darnell. He is 0-for-2 with a BB today. Darnell walks. Runners at 1&2 for Disher. 6:30 - Havens leads off the T8 for USC. He drives one deep to CF. It's off the wall. Havens coasts into 2B with a double. He is 3-for-4 today. Havens has had a great day individually both at the plate and in the field. Merrifield singles to CF. Great start to the T8. Runners on the corners for Smoak. Great situation for him. He should see some pitches here. 6:25 - Todd K's Robin looking with 2 runners on base. The No. 9 hitters is up. Another K. Todd works out of trouble. We go to the T8 with VU leading 7-1. USC needs some runs quickly. 6:20 - Todd gives up a single to de la Osa to start the B7. He goes to 2B. He walks Liddle. 2 on, 0 outs in the B7. Grounder into the hole. Havens gloves it and throws to 3B for the forceout. That's the third nice defensive play by Havens today. That's why he's got first-round potential. 1 out in the B7. 6:18 - Brandon Todd is the new pitcher for USC as we go to the B7. He's 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA in 21.1 IP this season. He's allowed 25 hits and 17 runs. with 30 K's and 13 BB. 6:15 - Wingo will face the new pitcher Chase Reid. Wingo is 0-for-2 with a popup and fly to right. Second pitch is bounced to 2B. 4-6-3 DP. That ends the threat. USC comes up empty. We go to the B7 with VU leading 7-1. 6:10 - With 1 out, Bangs lines on eover the CF's head. He ends at 3B for a triple! That's the 7th triple of the season for the Gamecocks. USC needs a lot more hits like that to rally here. Lail up. He walks. USC has runners at 1&3 for Wingo. Here comes the Vandy coach. That's it for Christiani. He certainly pitched a lot better today than he did against USC the first time out back in March. 6:00 - Alvarez up. He's 0-for-3 with 2 K's. USC pitchers have done a good job on him today. But he belts one deep to RF. That's gone for a 2-run HR. VU now leads 7-1. Unless USC gets the offense cranked up here in a hurry, they'll be gone from Hoover. F-8 for the 3rd out. We go to the T7 with VU leading 7-1. 5:55 - Another great play by Havens for the 2nd out in the B6. He ranged into the hole and fired a bullet to Smoak at 1B for the 2nd out. But there's a singelt o CF by Macias. He has 3 hits today. There'a bullet past 1B. Fair ball. It skips into the RF corner. Here comes the runner around first. He slides in safely. Feinberg ends up at 3B with a RBI triple. VU leads 5-1. 5:50 - Smoak and Darnell hit the ball hard to open the T6 but have nothing to show for it. Smoak L-4 and Darnell F-9 in the corner right in front of the 340 sign. Disher up. He K's. We go to the B6 with VU leading, 4-1. 5:45 - The first batter (Liddle) to face Atwood drives a pitch deep to RF, but Lail makes a nice catch right at thre wall. Wow, that was close. 2 outs in the B5. There's the third out. L-6. We go to the T6 with USC trailing 4-1. Smoak, Darnell, Disher due. 5:40 - Flaherty leads off the B5 with a single to RF. He steals second. Cooper fansde la Osa for the first out. Here comes Tanner. That's it for Cooper. Will Atwood is the new pitcher for USC. Cooper gave up 6 hits with 8 K's and 4 tuns in 4.1 IP. 5:35 - Merrifield down U-3. We go to the B5 with VU leading 4-1. Cooper is back out to pitch. He's given up 2 runs in each of the last 2 innings after a strong start. He has 6 K's through 4 Inn. He needs to keep VU off the scoreboard here. 5:30 - Lail K's to open the T5. He's K'd twice today. Wingo up. F-9. Havens up. Christiani has set down 12 of 14. The only 2 USC batters to reach since the T1 has been Disher (HR) and Mack (single). But Havens lines a single into LF. He has 2 hits today. He has Christiani dialed in. 5:25 - Cooper gets Alvarez to ground out to 1B. He's held Alvarez in check. But VU leads 4-1 as we head to the T5. Lail, Wingo, Havens due up. 5:22 - Will Atwood has started warmingup in the USC bullpen. Single to LF by Macias. 2 outs, runner on first. There's a K, but the ball gets away from Disher. His throw to 1B is high! Batter reaches. The runner goes all the way to third. 2 outs. Runners on the corners. VU is looking to expand its 4-1 lead. 5:20 - Single to open the B4 for Vandy. Giobbi up. He droves one deep to LF. It's gone. Two-run HR. Vandy leads 4-1. 5:15 - Macks follows the HR by Disher with a single to CF. The Vandy coach is out to talk with the pitcher. The HR by Disher was the second hit of the game for USC. Mack is 2-for-5 in the last 2 games. Bangs up. He grounded to SS the first time up. F-9 for the final out. We go to the B4 with USC trailing 2-1. 5:10 - Smoak leads off the T4 for USC. He K's. Darnell up. He hits one deep to LF. But it's caught on the warning track. Good contact, but it goes down as a noisy out. 2 outs in the T4. Disher up. He drills one deep to LF! HOME RUN! USC now trails 2-1. 18th HR of the season for Disher. 5:05 - 1-3 for the third out. Cooper was 1 strike away from getting out of the inning, but Flaherty burned USC again with the 2-run infield single. Macias never stopped coming around third and scored the secnd run. VU leads 2-0 as we go to the T4. The two HBP hurt Cooper in that inning. 5:00 - 2 outs for VU in the B3. Bases still loaded. After fanning Alvarez, Cooper has to deal with Flaherty. 2-2 count. If Cooper can get out of this jam, it could change the complexion of the game. 3-2 count. Runners will be moving. Huge pitch right here. Foul. Sill 3-2. Barely got a piece. Shot throughthe middle,. Havens gloves it. But 2 runs score. Vandy leads 2-0. 4:55 - Another HBP by Cooper. Second of the inning. VU has the bases loaded for Pedro Alvarez, one of the most dangerous hitters in the country. Cooper has his work cut out for him right here. 1-2 count. 2-2. Strike 3!!! Wow, that was huge. 4:50 - Great play by Havens for the first out in the B3!! He went into the hole and threw across his body to 1B. Nice stretch by Smoak as well. 1 out in the B3. But Cooper hit the next batter, Vandy's No. 9 hitter. VU has runner at first, 1 out. There's a wild pitch. Runner to 2B. THis is the first time VU has had a runner ins scoring position. There's a single to CF. Runner on the corners, 1 out. Here comes Tanner for a chat. 4:45 - Merrifield 6-3. USC down 1-2-3 in the T3. Vandy starter Nick Christiani has set down 7 in a row. He looks much sharper than his first start against USC this season. We go to the B3 with the score tied at 0-0. 4:42 - Wingo, Havens, Merrifield due in the T3. P-4 for Wingo. USC hit one ball out of the infield during the first trip through the order. Havens up. He singled his first time up. That's been the only hit in the game thus far. Havens flies to DEEP CF. he hit it 400 feet. Unfortunately, the fence id 4-5 feet from home. The Vandy OF caught the ball on the warning track. 2 outs in the T3. 4:40 - Cooper issues a 2-out walk in the B2. He had retired the first 5 batters, 3 by K. Strikeout. Cooper fans the side. He has four K's in the first two innings. We go to the T3 with the score 0-0. 4:35 - Cooper K's Flaherty for the 1st out in the B2. That was big. Flaherty was the guy that hit the HR in the B9 to tie the score in the first game of the year between these teams. Cooper looks sharp esarly. There's another K. de la Osa goes down swinging. That's three straight K's for Cooper. 4:30 - Mack 4-3 on the first pitch of the T2. Bangs up. He was 2-for-4 with a RBI yesterday. Bouncer to SS. 6-3 for the 2nd out. Lail up. He K's on four pitches. We go to the B2 with the score tied 0-0. 4:25 - We're in the B1 with the score 0-0. Vandy has 2 outs amd no one on. USC had a chance to score in the T1 but Disher grounded to first to end the threat. VU down 1-2-3 in the B1. Nice job by Cooper. He looks good early. We go to the T2 with the score tied at 0-0. 4:10 - Good start for USC. Havens singles to left. Merrifield sacrifices. Havens in second. Smoak up. He lines a shot right at the Vandy LF. Bad luck there. 2 outs. Darnell up. 4:08 - The national anthem has been played. The lineups have been intruduced. I've taken my last bathroom break. It's time to play ball. Loser goes home. Winner moves on to play Ole Miss on Saturday. Havens steps in. We're ready to go. 3:55 - We're about 10 minutes from the first pitch. In case you were wondering, Andrew Crisp is dressed today but won't start for the second straight game. I was told by the baseball SID that he still has back problems. He did not participate in fielding practice. Here are the numbers for Vanderbilt's Nick Christiani from his start against USC earlier this season: 2.1 IP, 9 hits, 9 runs, 5 ER, 0 K, 0 BB. So, USC had pretty good success against him. 3:30 - The players are warming up on the field for today's game, which is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. ET. Here is today's starting lineup for USC with current stats: Havens - 6 (.358-16 HR-53 RBI) Merrifield - 8 (.323-3-22) Smoak - 3 (.382-21-65) Darnell - 5 (.313-18-78) Disher - 2 (.306-17-53) Mack - 7 (.276-5-17) Bangs - DH (.273-2-5) Lail - 9 (.238-5-30) Wingo - 4 (.223-6-16) Cooper - P (5-5, 4.00 ERA. 81.0 IP, 88 hits, 43 runs, 42 K, 22 BB, .281 IP) The lineup for today's game is identical to yesterday's game, so Tanner is obviously sticking with what works. Vanderbilt has taken the field for infield practice. USC will be the road team and are wearing their garnet jerseys with the white sleeves. It's the same uniforms they wore Wed. v. LSU. USC is 11-1 with those uniforms. 2:55: Looking at some of the team stats through the first two days, USC is fourth in team batting with a .254 BA. They have 16 hits in 63 at-bats, including three doubles and two HR. One of those, of course, was the bomb hit by Justin Smoak in the eighth inning of yesterday's game. They also have a SEC-Tourney high 15 walks. In fact, the second-place team has only 9 walks, so USC has a substantial advantage in that category. Whit Merrifield is the only USC player that appears in the Top 20 with a .429 BA (3-for-7). He has 1 double and one RBI. Justi Smoak is tied atop the RBI list with 4. Three came on the HR Thursday v. UF. Pitching-wise, USC is fifth with a team ERA of 3.93. In 18.1 IP, USC hurlers have allowed 15 hits and eight runs while fanning 18 and walking seven. Sam Dyson leads all pitchers with a 0.00 ERA in 6.2 IP. He allowed two hits to LSU. Really, they've only had one bad inning and that was the B9 against LSU on Wednesday when two walks to start the inning resulted in catastrophe. USC is second in team fielding with a .987 fielding pct. They've committed 1 error in 2 games. 2:25 - We're live from Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. for Day 3 of the 2008 SEC Baseball Tournament. The South Carolina-Vanderbilt game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET. Blake Cooper (5-5, 4.00 ERA) will make his 14th start of the season for the Gamecocks. Nick Christiani, who was hit hard by USC in the three-game series in March, will start for the Commodores. USC opened the SEC Tourney with a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to LSU, but followed up with an impressive 11-3 win over Florida Thursday in an elimination game. The winner of today's game will have to beat Ole Miss twice on Saturday to advance to the SEC Tournament Championshp game on Sunday. Under the "flipped bracket" format introduced this year, Ole Miss jumped over the Bracket One after last night's thrilling 8-7 victory over Kentucky. The Rebels got a two-run walk-off home run to beat the Wildcats. Kentucky will play Alabama tonight at 7:30 p.m. with the loser headed home. Right now, here's how the brackets look: Bracket One: USC, Vandy, Ole Miss Bracket Two: Kentucky, Alabama, LSU 5.
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Responding To Adversity Key To SEC Success
posted by Scott Hood, 5/23/2008 01:41:00 AM
Responding positively to adversity is a key to success in any endeavor, and it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about athletics or life in general. One of the key questions entering Thursday’s SEC Tournament baseball game between South Carolina and Florida was how the Gamecocks would respond to Wednesday’s devastating 5-4 defeat to LSU. Ray Tanner has experienced a lot of success at USC, and one of the reasons for that is the Gamecocks have avoided long losing streaks. They had a four-game skid in late April and early May and a pair of three-game losing streaks, but USC was able to start winning again each time. After getting swept at Georgia in three close games, the Gamecocks responded by winning eight straight games and 11 of 12 overall. So, Thursday’s impressive “bounce back” performance in the win over Florida didn’t surprise me at all. But the SEC demands an iron will if you want to win in this league. It will eat you alive if you get too high and keep you buried if you get too low. It doesn’t matter which sport we’re talking about – football, men’s basketball or baseball. At one point or another, every team in the SEC will face adversity. The league is simply too good across the board to have it any other way. How each specific team handles adversity and responds to it will typically determine who’s successful and who’s not. It’s mental challenge as much as a physical one. In my opinion, the collapse of the USC football team in the aftermath of the Vanderbilt debacle shows they still have work to do when it comes to handling adversity. The men’s basketball team is in the same boat. Right now, the Gamecock baseball team is the only one of the big three sports that has learned to consistently overcome adversity. Thursday’s win over Florida provides a good example. USC had already proven this season they could beat the Gators as long as they played well, so it was simply a matter of going on the field and executing. And, boy, did they execute. USC discovered the hard way Wednesday that walks are lethal killers in baseball. Well, Nick Godwin and Mike Cisco combined for just one free pass on Thursday. Throw strikes, you win. Walk people, you lose. It’s as simple as that. Well, you still have to do some other things, but the foundation of any winning baseball team is a pitching staff that consistently throws strikes. USC has been able to do that for the most part this season, with the bottom of the ninth inning of Wednesday’s loss to LSU being a very visible exception. But the Gamecocks improved to two other key areas as well. First, they reduced their strikeouts from 13 against LSU to seven. That’s a sign they were making better contact and putting more pressure on the defense to make plays. It’s funny thing, but when you put the ball in play and force the opponent to play defense, guess what? It doesn’t always happen, as evidenced by Florida’s three errors on Thursday. Two of the three Gator errors led directly to USC runs on Thursday. James Darnell was allowed to go to third on a throwing error by the UF shortstop after doubling. He then scored on a groundout by Phil Disher. Without the error, Darnell would have been at third rather than the dugout after crossing home plate. It was huge run at the time because it made the score 6-3 with plenty of baseball remaining. The third error came in the bottom of the eighth when the Florida left fielder flat out dropped a routine fly by DeAngelo Mack. Had the play been made, Justin Smoak would have never come to the plate with two outs. We all know what happened – the junior 1B crushed a three-run home run to centerfield that put the game out of reach and broke Florida’s back. The second way USC improved from the opening game loss to LSU was it reduced the number of runners stranded in half from 10 to five. Three of those came in one inning – the five-run second when USC took a lead it would never relinquish. Really, Thursday’s game provided the classic recipe for winning most baseball games, and it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about little league, Division I college baseball or the major leagues: 1. Throw strikes (i.e. minimize walks) and play solid, fundamentally sound defense; 2. Make contact at the plate (i.e. minimize the number of strikeouts) and force the defense to make plays against you; 3. Drive in runners when they get on base (i.e. minimize the number of runners left stranded). Truly, baseball is not that complicated of a game.
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SEC Tourney Blog - Day 2 (All Day Updates)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/22/2008 09:30:00 AM
2:00 a.m. - The victory by Ole Miss over UK sets up Friday's SEC Tourney schedule this way: USC v. Vanderbilt - 4 p.m. ET Kentucky v. Alabama - 7:30 p.m. ET (Approx.) Under the new "flipped bracket" format, the USC/Vandy winner will play Ole Miss Sat. at 11 a.m., while the UK/Bama winner faces LSU at 2:30 p.m. (Approx.) ET. 1:30 - 1 out in the B9. Runner on 1st. Line shot to LF. It's gone!! Ole Miss wins 8-7!!! That was a bullet!! The No. 8 seed Ole Miss Rebels are 1 win away from going to the SEC Tournament championship game. 1:25 - We go to the B9 with UK leading 7-6. Leadoff single for Ole Miss. Pitching change for UK. 1:18 - UK has scored a run on a leadoff triple and SF to RF. UK leads 7-6 in the T9. 1:15 - We go to the 9th inning with UK and Ole Miss still tied at 6-6. The winner of this game will move up into Bracket One udner the "flipped bracket" format and play Saturday at 11 a.m. against either USC or Vandy. 12:55 - UK has rallied to tie the game at 6-6 in the T8. The runners made a great slide into home to avoid the tag. We go to the B8. Both teams have 8 hits. 12:40 - UK scored a run in the T7 to take a 5-4 lead over Ole Miss. There is now 1 out in the B7. Make that 2 outs. Both 5-3 groundouts. Single to LF. 2 outs, runner on base. There's a bomb to CF. It's gone! 2-run shot. Ole Miss leads 6-5 in the B7. 12:20 - We're in the T7 and the score in the Ole Miss-UK game is still tied at 4-4. 12:10 - UK is threatening here in the T6 with runners onthe corners and 2 outs. Base hit to CF! Run scores. It's 4-4. The throw went to third and the runner was safe with a nifty slide. UK has a chance to score more runs here. Strikeout. We go to the B6 with the score tied at 4-4. 11:35 - We have a pitching change for Ole Miss in the T5. The Rebels continue to lead, 4-3. But UK has a a pair of runners at 1&2 with 2 outs, so a hit should at least tie the game. F-9 for the third out. Ole Miss retains its 4-3 lead as we head to the B5. 11:05 - Ole Miss has regained the lead at 4-3 in the B4 on a sac. fly. There's a pitching change for UK. 1 out in the B4. 10:55 - UK's bats have come alive here in the T4. The Cats have reponded to Ole Miss' three runs by scoring three runs of their own. UK had a very good hitting club, probably the best in the SEC. K ends the T4. We go to the B4 with the score tied at 3-3. 10:35 - Ole Miss has taken a 1-0 lead against UK here in the B3 on a single. OM has runners at 2&3, 2 outs, so a hit would surely make it 3-0. Base hit to CF. 2 runs score. Batter is thrown out at 2B. Rebels lead 3-0 heading to the T4. ******************************************************************************* 9:40 - LSU polished off an impressive 8-2 victory over Vanderbilt about 45 minutes ago. That means USC will play Vanderbilt Friday at 4 p.m. Blake Cooper will start for USC. Ole Miss-Kentucky is about to get started. This is the final game of the day. 7:40 - LSU has taken a 7-1 lead here in the T6 with a 3-run HR. Vandy is making a pitching change. All seven of LSU's runs have come in the last two innings. 7:15 - A solo HR in the B3 has given Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead over LSU as they play in the T5. LSU has runners at the corners with 1 out. There's another base hit. 1 run scores. The runners from first is trying for third. Th ethrow goes into the stands. Another run scores. LSU leads 2-1 in the T5. 6:35 - The winner's bracket game between LSU and Vanderbilt is underway at Regions Park. The contest is scoreless in the bottom of the 2nd inning. The winner will have Friday off before facing a team from Bracket 2 under the new "flipped bracket" format introduced this year. The loser will play USC Friday at 4 p.m. DP ends the B2. The score is 0-0. ***************************************************************************** 5:25 - F-9 for the final out. Alabama wins 5-2. Georgia is eliminated after coming into the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, and likely won't get a national seed now. They lost 4 of their last 5 conference games. Alabama will face the loser of tonight's Ole Miss-Kentucky game on Friday at approx. 7:30 p.m. 5:15 - UGA is 1 out away from losing again inHoover. Alabama leads 5-1 in the T9. Gordon Beckham is UGA's last hope here. 1-2 count. Beckham doubles to LF. The Dawgs still have life. There's a fly down the RF line. It's called fair! Run scores. It's 5-2. 4:55 - We're in the T8 of the UGA-Bama game. UGa just collected its second hit of the game. The No. 1 seed is definitely in danger of dropping two straight in Hoover. Alabama still leads 4-1. 4:35 - The second game of the day between Georgia and Alabama is now in the bottom of the 6th inning with the Crimson Tide leading, 4-1. Unless UGA rallies, the regular season champions will be two and done at the SEC Tournament. It could affect their national seeding. *********************************************************************** 2:05 - There's a bouncer to 3B. Darnell throws. IT'S OVER. USC WINS 11-3!!! USC WILL PLAY LSU OR VANDY FRI. AT 4 P.M. 2:00 - That was the 60th career HR for Smoak. He's also driven in 200 runs to set the school record. Cisco back out for the T9. USC leads 11-3 after scoring five runs. 5-3 groundout. K for the 2nd out. 1:55 - Merrifield does the job with a SF to CF. Run scores. It's 8-3 USC. Smoak up. There's a BOMB to CF!! HOME RUN!!!!! 410 feet to CF. What a blast!! 3 Runs score. USC LEADS 11-3. Just what the doctor ordered!! I think this one is safe. 1:50 - Lail K's for the 1st out. Wingo up. Base hit to RF!! Run scores. USC leads 7-3. There's a wild pitch! Both runners move up. USC has 2 runners in scoring position for Havens. He has a hit and a RBi today in 4 trips to the plate. He walks. Bases loaded for Merrifield. He has 2 hits today, but grounded into a DP the last time. 1:45 - Mack leads off the B8. There's a fly to LF. The UF LF dropped the ball!! Mack goes to 2B. USC has a runners in scoring position. with Bangs at the plate. That's the third error of the day by the Gators. Bangs up. He singles to RF! USC has runners at the corners with 0 outs. They need to score here. 1:40 - Cisco was greeted by a single to start the T8 but he set down the next 3 batters on a F-8, P-3, 6-3. We go to the B8 with USC leading 6-3. As we saw yesterday, a few insurance runs would be nice here. 1:35 - Mike Cisco is the new pitcher for USC as we start the T8. He's 5-3 with a 4.88 ERA this season. He's allowed 87 hits in 66.1 IP with 37 K's and 13 BB. This is his third relief appearance this season. 1:30 - Smoak leads off the B7 with a F-8. He's 0-for-3 with a BB today. Darnell P-6 for the second out. Disher up. He K's. USC down 1-2-3 in the B7. We go to the T8 with USC leading, 6-3. 1:25 - There's another single by Figueroa. He's 3-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt. UF has runners on the corners with 2 outs. Calvi out for a visit with Godwin. It works. P-6 for the final out. UF doesn't score. We go to the B7 with USC leading, 6-3. 1:20 - Godwin is mowing them down here in the T7. 2 K's to open the inning. But there's a bloop single to CF. 2 outs, runner on 1st. 1:15 - Well, there goes any chance of an uprising. Merrifield bounces into a 5-4-3 DP to end the inning. We go to the T7 with USC leading, 6-3. Godwin back out to the mound. Cisco back to warming up in the bullpen. 1:10 - Lail F-8 for the 1st out in B6. Wingo HBP. That's the 16th time he's been hit by a pitch this season. Havens up. He's 1-for-3 with a RBI. USC is lookingto add to its 6-3 lead. UF coach is out. Toledo stays in. I would say 'Holy Toledo' but that would be too obvious. Havens walks. USC has runners on 1&2, 1 out. Here comes the UF coach. Pitching change here for UF. 1:05 - Great play by Wingo and Smoak for the 1st out in the T6! That might be one of the top defensive plays of the year. F-8 to deep CF for the second out. Boy, this ballpark is huge. K for the 3rd out. We go to the B6 with USC leading, 6-3. 1:00 - Bangs K's to end the B5. We go to the T6 with USC leading, 6-3. Godwin comes out for the T6. I see Jordan Costner stretching in the bullpen. We might see him in this game. But now he jogs back to the dugout. 12:57 - Darnell rips a double over the LF's head to the wall. The relay throw gets away! It's rolling towards the USC dugout. Darnell to 3B. Disher up. Roller towards 1B. It's enough to score the run. USC leads 6-3. Mack up. He smashes one to the UF 1B. Nice play. 2 outs in the B5. Bangs up. 12:52 - Huge K for Godwin against McArthur. There's a drive to deep CF. But it's caught at the warning track by Merrifield. We go to the B5 with USC leading, 5-3. 12:48 - Wild pickoff throw by Godwin! Runner scampers all the way to 3B. UF can cut the lead to a single run here. Calvi is out to chat with Godwin. Cisco heads to the bullpen. 12:45 - 1-out double down the LF line for UF. Disher is out to talk to Godwin. Figueroa up. He's a good hitter. Godwin had to be careful here. Base hit to CF. Run scores. USC's lead is cut to 5-3 here in the T5. 12:40 - USC down 1-2-3 again in the B4. 8 in a row set down. We go to the T5 with USC leading, 5-2. Top of the order for UF. 12:35 - A couple of nice defensive plays on groundouts by Havens and Wingo highlight the top of the 4th. UF down 1-2-3. We go to the B4 with USC leading, 5-2. Top of the order for USC. Havens, Merrifield, Smoak. 12:30 - USC down 1-2-3 in the B3. We go to the T4 with USC leading, 5-2. USC has 6 hits through 3 Inn, UF has 5. 12:20 - Godwin fell behind Adams 3-0 but recovered to get the K. 4-3 for the third out. We go to the B3 with USC leading 5-2. Bangs, Lail, Wingo due. 12:15 - Godwin walked the leadoff batter in the T3. USC pitchers have to learn how to handle prosperity. There's a bunt. Runner to 2B. Base hit to CF. Run scores. Walk proves costly again, just like yesterday. USC leads 5-2 in the T3. 12:10 - Disher X-3 for the 2nd out. Mack is up. He's the 11th batter of the inning. Mack K's. Great inning for USC. 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 BB. Butthey did leave 3 LOB. But USC leads 5-1 going to the T3. 12:08 - Darnell K's the first time at the plate. He needs a big hit here. USC looking to really break it open. Ball Four!!! Run scores. USC leads 5-1. Toledo can't find the plate here. Disher up. He's the 10th batter to come to the plate this inning. 12:05 - Smoak is at the plate with the bases loaded. Good situation for him. 3-2 count. Long foul to RF. Ball 4!! Run scores. It's 4-1 USC. Darnell up. 11:58 - Merrifield up. He singles to LF! Bases are loaded for Smoak. No place to put him. UF will have to pitch to him. Here comes the UF coach. Pitching change for the Gators. 5 hits and a BB for USC in the B2. The Gamecocks have taken a 3-1 lead. The bottom part of the order came through, and Havens and Merrifield continued it. 11:55 - Wingo up. He fouls out to 3B. As Tanner told us several days ago, Wingo has to learn to hit the ball on the ground and rely on his speed. Havens up. He bloops one towards CF. It falls in!! Run scores. USC leads 3-1 with 1 out in the B2. 11:50 - Lail bloops one to RF. It falls in!! Run scores. USC leads 2-1. Bangs at 3B, Lail at 1st for Wingo. 11:45 - USC has something going here in the B2. Disher led off with a walk and Mack singled to right. Bangs is up. Looks like there was a last-minute lineup change. Bangs is the DH. Disher is catching. Bangs doubles rips one down the RF line!!! Disher scores. It's tied at 1-1. Mack to 3B, Bangs at 2B. Lail up. He had a big base hit Wed. 11:40 - Godwin gets a big K for the second out. There's a throw to 2B. That was close. 2 outs in the T2. They just called a balk on Godwin. Runners at 2&3, 2 outs. Hit would score 2. Leadoff hitter is up. He grounded out the first time up. There's a fly to shallow LF. Mack races in and makes the catch for the third out. We go to the B2 with UF leading, 1-0. 11:35 - UF has a runner at 1B with 1 out here in the T2. Single to CF. Merrifield dove but couldn't reach it. Godwin has given up 3 hits so far. There's another single to RF. 4 hits for UF. Runners at 1&2, 1 out. Godwin has to be careful here. 11:30 - Smoak 4-3 groundout. Merrifield moves to 3B. But Darnell K's. Merrifield is stranded at 3B. We go to the T2 with UF leading, 1-0. 11:25 - Havens K's for the 4th time in the SEC Tourney. Merrifield singles to RF for his second hit of the tourney. Smoak up. Wild pickoff throw! Merrifield scampers to 2B. Runner in scoring position for USC. 11:20 - Consecutive 1-out singles have put runners on the corners for UF here in the T1. UF's cleanup hitter is up. There's a fly to RF. Runner scores. 1-0 UF. USC is 9-11 this season when the opponent scores first. F-7 for the 3rd out. We go to the B1 with UF leading, 1-0. 11:10 - We're almost underway here in Hoover. Nick Godwin is taking his final warn-ups. The first UF batters steps in. We're ready to go. First pitch is a ball. 10:40 - WE're about 25 minutes from the start of the USC-UF game. The Gamecocks have justtaken the field for infield practice. If USC wins today, it will play the loser of the LSU-Vanderbilt game at 4 p.m. ET on Friday. USC is wearing its garnet pinstriped uniforms. There are just a few dozen fans in the ballpark right now. It will likley be a sparse crowd for the USC-UF game. The stadium was packed for both games of the night session. 10:15 - We're about an hour from first pitch here at Regions Park. Here is USC's atarting lineup: Havens - 6 (.358-16 HR-52 HR) Merrifield - 8 (.319-3-21) Smoak - 3 (.385-20-61) Darnell - 5 (.314-18-77) Disher - DH (.310-17-52) Mack - 7 (.277-5-17) Lail - 9 (.237-5-29) Enders - 2 (.255-5-25) Wingo - 4 (.220-6-15) Godwin - P (6-3, 2.95, 79.1 IP, 58 hits, 29 runs, 70 K, 21 BB) The most obvious change from yesterday's lineuo is Tanner has pulled Crisp after a tough day at the ballpark yesterday with 3 K's and a mental error on the game-tying bloop when he overran the ball. UF will start Billy Bullock, who is 4-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 79.1 IP. 9:40 - After 16 hours at the ballpark on Wednesday, we're back at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. for another full day of baseball. USC will take on Florida in the opening game of the day at 11 a.m.. Most of you know USC lost to LSU, 5-4, in 10 innings. Florida fell to Vanderbilt, 7-3, in the second game of the day. In the night session, Ole Miss upset top-seeded Georgia, 4-1, behind an outstanding perfromance by Rebels starting pitcher Lance Lynn. The final game of the day, which didn't start until 11:45 p.m. ET, Kentucky rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to beat Alabama, 9-3. The Tide's Tyler Odle hit one of the longest home runs I've seen here at Regions Park, but it wasn't enough. UK scored twice in the fifth and four times in the sixth to pull away. The game ended about 2:50 a.m. So, those results set up Thursday's schedule: USC v. Florida - 11 a.m. (Elimination Game) Georgia v. Alabama - 2 p.m. (Elimination Game) LSU v. Vanderbilt - 6 p.m. Ole Miss v. Kentucky - 9 p.m. We're about 85 monutes from the first pitch and it's pretty quiet here. The teams take batting practice at Hoover High School about a mile away from here, then bus in. Nick Godwin should be the starting pitcher for the Gamecocks. It's do-or-die time for USC. They beat UF 2 of 3 in Columbia this year. But that means little right now. UF swept Vandy last weekend in Gainesville, but lost to them yesterday.
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Dyson Passes The Test In Inexplicable Loss
posted by Scott Hood, 5/21/2008 11:47:00 PM
If only the two juniors and the senior had pitched as effectively as the redshirt freshman starter. I really feel bad for Sam Dyson. He pitched his heart out on Wednesday in USC’s 5-4, 10-inning loss to LSU in the opening game of the SEC Tournament. In fact, he was dominating. Considering the circumstances, it might have been USC’s best pitching performance of the season. If you didn’t know very much about Dyson prior to Wednesday, don’t feel bad. He had mainly been a mid-week starter this season with a total of seven starts against teams like Yale, College of Charleston, USC Upstate and Wofford twice. While Ray Tanner often says those mid-week count just as much in the overall record as the SEC games, the bright lights belong to the weekend starters. Dyson finally got the opportunity to show the world what Ray Tanner knew when the Gamecocks recruited him a couple of years ago - he’s a heckuva pitcher. Dyson was one of the top high school pitchers in Florida when he pitched at Tampa’s Jesuit High School. He could have been a Top 10 round pick in the 2006 MLB Draft but his signing bonus demands scared off some teams. The Washington Nationals eventually selected him in the 19th round. He suffered an arm injury before arriving at USC and was medically redshirted in 2007. He did not throw off a mound until late last fall. Due to his injury and the fact he had pitched against mid-tier opponents most of the season, he was largely an unknown quantity for most USC fans when he took the mound on Wednesday. His exceptional performance against the hottest team in the nation certainly gave Tanner something to think about. First, you have to applaud Tanner for rolling the dice a little bit. It was a pressure situation, but he obviously felt Dyson was mature enough to handle the situation. Dyson proved Tanner correct. Here’s the question: does Tanner reward Dyson with a start in the NCAA Regional? If he went strictly on performance, the answer is probably yes. The stage would be even bigger than the one Dyson pitched on Wednesday. But, I think he could handle it. In my opinion, it spoke volumes when Tanner used Atwood out of the bullpen on Wednesday. That means he likely won’t start one of the games here in Hoover unless the Gamecocks advance all the way to Sunday’s tournament championship game, which won’t happen unless USC finds a way to win three consecutive games. Nick Godwin is the probable starter for Thursday’s morning’s elimination game against Florida. Should USC win that game, I expect Blake Cooper would get the call on Friday. The way this season has gone for the Gamecocks, should anyone be surprised that USC’s best two pitchers right now are Dyson and Godwin, the two mid-week starters for the majority of the season? The ninth inning fiasco proved once and for all how much USC misses Curtis Johnson. I have no doubt he would have slammed the door on LSU and USC would have walked out Regions Park with a win. But, just like last season when Jordan Costner’s season-ending injury killed USC’s middle relief, USC found itself unable to close the deal. Atwood committed one of the cardinal sins of pitching when he walked the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth. That’s the worst thing you can do when you’re trying to protect a four-run lead. In my opinion, that was the turning point of the game. At that point, LSU truly began to believe they could rally. Unfortunately, both those base-runners scored on the three-run homer. All three batters who were issued bases on balls in the bottom of the ninth scored. That’s not just a fact, it’s an indictment. When you walk batters and they eventually come around to score, it’s like giving the opposition free runs. If I were to make an analogy to football, a walk in baseball is similar to committing a turnover in your own end of the field. Do that several times in a game and you’ll find it extremely difficult to win. The 2008 season could very well be remembered for the late-inning collapses by the Gamecocks. By my count, this is at least the fourth “inexcusable” loss for USC. Turn those defeats into victories and USC is looking at hosting a NCAA Regional next week. Of course, baseball is still a team game and the batters aren’t blameless, either. USC had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the 10th but came away with just one run when James Darnell hit into a double play. USC batters also fanned 13 times. That’s far too many. It’s about twice as many strikeouts as Tanner wants to see in a single game. Hopefully, the Gamecocks will find a way to put Wednesday’s devastating loss behind them and come out ready to square off with Florida on Thursday.
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SEC Baseball Tournament - Day 1 (Wed. May 21)
posted by Scott Hood, 5/21/2008 09:45:00 AM
12:10 - The UK/Alabama game is underway. The Tide scored twice in the T1 to take a 2-0 lead. This game probably won't end until 3 a.m., so I think I'm going to head back to the hotel for some rest. We'll be back here at approx. 9 a.m. on Thursday for the USC-Florida game. 11:30 - As it stands right now, here is the schedule for Thursday: USC v. Florida - 11 a.m. (Elimination Game) Georgia v. Alabama/Kentucky - 2 p.m. (Elimination Game) LSU v. Vanderbilt - 6 p.m. (Winners Bracket) Ole Miss v. Kentucky/Alabama - 9 p.m. (Winners Bracket) 11:20 - It looks we're back on-line after a delay here at the ballpatk. We have our second "upset" of the day with Ole Miss defeating No. 1 seed Georgia, 4-1. UGA will play the loser of the upcoming Alabama-Kentucky game, which will start at 11:45 p.m. ET, at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Ole Miss will play the winner at 9 p.m. ET. Right now, we're nearly 3 hours behind schedule here in Hoover. 10:30 - Nobody has scored in the lat two innings. The UGA-Ole Miss game is headed to the T9 with the Rebels still leading, 3-1. Ole Miss closer Scott Bittle is pitching for the Rebels. 9:50 - UGA scored a run in the B6 on a two-out single. We're headed to the T7 with Ole Miss still leading, 3-1. 9:30 - The Georgia CF just made a fabulous catch while crashing into the wall. He was on the ground for several minutes before being helped off the field. We're heading to the B6 with Ole Miss still leading 3-0. UGA has managed just two hits through the first 5 innings. 9:00 - Ole Miss has taken a 3-0 lead over Georgia as a result of a disputed home run in the T4. It appeared to me that the ball curved foul, but the third base umpire ruled it a fair ball and signalled HR. Ole Miss starter Lance Lynn struckout SEC Player of the Year Gordon Beckham to end the B3. We go to the B$ with Ole Miss leading, 3-0. 8:20 - The third game of the day between Georgia and Ole Miss is underway here at Regions Park in Hoover. Ole Miss scored a pair of runs in the first inning ans they lead 2-0 in the B2. Lance Lynn, who played on the USA National Team with Justin Smoak last summer, is the starting pitcher for the Rebels, who have a large fanbase here. ********************************************************************* 7:05 - Vanderbilt has defeated Florida, 7-3, in the second game here at Regions Park. That sets up the following matchups on Thursday: USC v. Florida - 11 a.m. ET (Elimination Game) Second Elimination Game - 2 p.m. ET LSU v. Vanderbilt - 6 p.m. ET Second Winners Bracket Game - 9 p.m. 6:40 - Vanderbilt and Florida are headed to the B9 with the Commodores leading, 7-3. If Vanderbilt holds on, it would play LSU Thur. at 6 p.m., while Florida would face USC at 11 a.m. 5:50 - We're reached the 7th-inning stretch in the second game of the day between Vanderbilt and Florida. The Commodores lead, 6-3. UF scored two runs in the bottom of the 6th. 5:05 - Vandy and UF headed to the B5 with the Commodores leading 5-1. VU has 8 hits through |
